


From Avalon

by sherlockbbcfan



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arthur Pendragon Returns, Arthur-centric, Inspired by Music, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 21:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4116199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlockbbcfan/pseuds/sherlockbbcfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been years. How many? Well, no one's quite sure. It's time for Arthur to return and Merlin's not the only one who's been waiting all this time.<br/>Inspired by 'From Eden' by Hozier</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Avalon

 

> _**"Babe, there's something tragic about you** _
> 
> _**Something so magic about you** _
> 
> _**Don't you agree?** _
> 
> _**Babe, there's something lonesome about you** _
> 
> _**Something so wholesome about you** _
> 
> _**Get closer to me"** _
> 
> _**~Hozier** _

The dark haired man seemed to come to the lake everyday. It was rather annoying actually. Sometimes Arthur wished he could float around without being distracted by the lanky fool. He'd been drifting for- well, he wasn't exactly sure how long anymore to be completely honest. But he was sure that existing was a lot easier before that man had shown up. There was something different about him but Arthur could never quite place his finger on it. Granted, he didn't have fingers anymore anyway. Souls didn't truly need them for anything after all. Whatever it was though, it was strange but somehow reassuring at the same time. Arthur wasn't certain when the man had started coming but he knew it was a long time ago and that every time he seemed to grow more tired. After a while, it was as if every visit aged him before Arthur's eyes. There was something so desperately sad about the man. He seemed to be the loneliest man alive. A small part of Arthur felt the need to reach up and touch the man; just throw an arm around his shoulder or touch their hands together if only for a moment to see what would happen. It was a ridiculous notion but one that never quite seemed to disappear. Time was muddled in the lake and afternoon had soon turned to evening as the man stood from his usual spot on the grass and walked away, a little older than he had been when he came. Arthur too turned and returned to the glowing gates of Avalon waiting the next day, when the man would come again. Perhaps tomorrow he would figure out why the man fascinated him so much.

The sun was hanging high in the sky and the man had returned. For some reason, Arthur always had a way of knowing when the man would come. At first it had seemed an odd coincidence but then, as time dragged on, it was obvious it was something else. The only problem was that Arthur didn't know what it was. He felt as though he should know but he simply didn't. His face, it was a face he knew. It was like looking through time and remembering a part of himself he’d forgotten about. A shift in the water behind him caused him to turn. Freya stood before him with a smile on her face. Arthur hated that smile. That smile meant that she knew something he didn't. The last time she'd had that smile on, Arthur had ended up running into Morgana and Uther Pendragon bickering with one another. The three hadn't even recognized each other at first and Freya had eventually had to explain that Arthur and Morgana were, in fact, Uther's children. Some vague memories had come back after that but after meeting, none of them truly cared to explore it any further, agreeing instead to leave the past in the past. At least Arthur had finally gotten to meet Ygraine. Meeting his family in the afterlife really should have been a more pleasant experience, he reflected. Freya seemed to be getting impatient with his blank stare and let out an annoyed sigh. He rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"You should go to him." She replied.

"Who?" Arthur furrowed his brow.

"Him." She said pointing to the dark haired man. Arthur opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off, "It's time, Arthur."

"You're being ridiculous again, Freya."

"If you don't go up there, I'm going to tell Morgana that you're being difficult." Freya crossed her arms.

"Do you honestly believe that Morgana frightens me?" Arthur challenged.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that she doesn't?" Freya countered. Arthur really hated her sometimes. He looked back up towards the surface. The man was gone. He'd been there just a second ago and now there was no sign of him. Freya looked annoyed and shoved him up and out of the water. The night was cool and dark and the stars shined a little brighter than they had for quite some time.

“Good luck, Arthur.” A thousand voices seemed to chorus at once.

 

> _**"No tired sighs** _
> 
> _**No rolling eyes** _
> 
> _**No irony** _
> 
> _**No who cares** _
> 
> _**No vacant stares** _
> 
> _**No time for me"** _
> 
> _**~Hozier** _

The first thought Arthur had was that his body was much heavier than he remembered. His second thought was that Freya was stronger than she looked. His third, was that he needed to find that man. He stood, looking around at the strange world around him. He'd seen it change of course, but that had been from the lake not from up here. He had no idea where he should start searching for a mysterious dark haired man. What sort of mess had Freya gotten him into? A small blue light caught his attention. He should be frightened, he thought, but it seemed almost familiar for some reason. Arthur felt the need to follow this strange light wherever it may lead him. The light drifted through the air, leading him far away from the lake along the road to a- well, it was a village but it was full of lights and odd moving objects and buildings like nothing Arthur had ever seen. The blue orb floated further into the odd town as he followed dumbly. If anyone thought it unusual that the King of Camelot was chasing after a glowing light in the dead of night, nobody commented or indeed even reacted to it. After what seemed like a century navigating the streets of the village apparently named London if the signs were anything to go by, the orb stopped at a tall building and disappeared. Arthur was completely lost and so did the first logical thing he could think of. He started yelling. He wasn’t even entirely sure what he was yelling by the time the many windows of the building had lit up. Several people leaned out the window and gave him queer looks. One man yelled down to him.

“Hey mate, why don’t you go back to the pub or wherever the hell it is you came from, some of us are trying to sleep!”

“I beg your pardon,” Arthur finally realized just how insane he must seem, screaming at random people in a foreign town. Although, to be honest he didn’t understand at least half of what the man had just said. “I’m looking for a man. He’s got dark hair, pale skin, blue eyes, he’s tall and rather gangly looking.”

The man looked about ready to start yelling again before another window slid open and someone leaned out of it.

“Arthur?” the man called down at him. It was the dark haired man. Oh thank the gods. Perhaps he’d have some sort of explanation. “Is that really you?”

“Well, who else would it be?” he responded annoyed with the whole situation at this point.

“Emrys,” The first man seemed angrier now that the dark haired man was speaking. “You know this drunkard?”

“I apologize, Mr. Singer.” He said. “Look, Arthur I’m going to come down and get you, okay? Just stay there. Don’t move.” The man disappeared before Arthur could respond. A moment later, the door opened and the man stood in front of Arthur dressed in the shortest trousers he’d ever seen and a preposterous looking tunic. He looked Arthur up and down as he brought him inside the building before hysteria seemed to overtake him. Arthur gave the man a queer look as though he’d gone quite insane.

“What are you wearing?” he asked between bouts of laughter. Arthur looked down at himself, seeing nothing wrong with the armour he had on. “Never mind.” He said, leading Arthur up a set of stairs. “It’s good to see you again, clotpole.”

Merlin. The man’s name was Merlin. And Arthur loved him.

 

> _**"Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago** _
> 
> _**Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword** _
> 
> _**Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know** _
> 
> _**I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door."** _
> 
> _**~Hozier** _

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was my first fic ever! Yay! Constructive criticism is welcome. Please leave your comments below. I know it's really short but I wanted to ease into the whole writing thing. I guess I just figured Eden and Avalon were similar enough and then I thought about Arthur 'slithering' to Merlin's front door from Avalon. And of course I had to throw Freya in there because Freya is great even though I ship Merthur. I actually also tried slipping Gwen in too but it seemed forced so I left her out. :( Sorry, Gwen.


End file.
